The present invention relates generally to rotary printing presses and more particularly to an arrangement for inserting an endless material web into a rotary press and for conveying the web therethrough.
Paper inserting devices related to the type of device with which the present invention is concerned have been previously known in the art. For example, in German Pat. No. 1,099,554 there is disclosed a device wherein a narrow auxiliary web is fed from a delivery roll with the web having its front end pasted upon an inserting band. The delivery roll of the auxiliary web is then moved slowly by a lateral displacement to the machine center during entrance of the auxiliary web into the machine together with an inserting band. Thereafter, the front end of the material web, beveled on both sides, is pasted and the material web is thereby introduced into the printing press by means of the auxiliary web.
This type of device has proved cumbersome in operation in that it requires the use of an inserting band and an auxiliary web, both of which must from time to time be replaced.
Another prior art example of the type of device with which the present invention is concerned is disclosed in German Pat. No. 1,229,107 which discloses a device for introducing a material web into a rotary printing press. In this prior art device, band systems are arranged under guides for the material web between individual printing unit. The band systems are guided over band rollers which run loosely upon their axles and the respective band systems which are required are driven by impression rolls of the device in a direction corresponding to the direction of motion of the material web.
However, such a device has been found unsuitable for inserting paper webs into rotogravure printing machines. In such devices, the insertion path in a change of the production of the press is not variable.
In other known embodiments of devices of the type discussed above, chains are utilized to conduct a paper web through the printing assembly. The chains are driven over chain wheels which are mounted in the frames of the machine and which are pulled by a lead-in bar upon which the paper web to be inserted is secured. The chains are moved by means of a hand wheel through the drying hoods of the printing units. However, it has been found that this simple type of device requiring hand operation is no longer adequate for use in machines of the more modern type. This type of device has been found unsuitable for machines which are selectively operable with or without turner bar carridge. Each printing unit requires a lead in bar and the time-consuming operation of fastening the paper web must be repeated in each printing unit.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming many of the drawbacks and problems arising with prior art devices. The invention is intended to provide a device for inserting a material web into a printing unit which requires only a single lead-in bar for all the printing units of a rotary printing press. Thus, time-consuming fastening of the material web need not be repeated in each of the printing units. The device provides transfer and receiving stations which move the lead-in bar with the material web attached thereto automatically from one printing unit to a succeeding printing unit. The device of the present invention includes provision of feeding, transfer and receiving stations with the lead-in bar being alternately locked with the chains of one of the printing units and then being released for engagement with a next succeeding printing unit. The device is of the type provided with a motor drive.